In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for any grade level, students use BrainPOP resources to explore the life and works of historical figures. Students will research their selected historical figure, create a “Who Am I?” bag of clues about their figure, and invite classmates to deduce which historical figure they researched.

Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7

Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

Grade: 02

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.7

Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7

Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.7

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7

Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.7

Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

Grade: 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7

Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

Grade: K

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

Grade: 01

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.6

Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6

Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

Grade: 02

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.6

Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6

Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.6

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.6

Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.6

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6

Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Grade: 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6

Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.6

Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Grade: K

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.6

With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

Students will:

Explore the life and works of a self-selected historical figure.

Create a bag of clues about the historical figure.

Invite classmates to guess the identity of their chosen historical figure.

Materials:

Computers with internet access for BrainPOP

One paper bag for each student

Preparation:

Determine whether students will work alone or cooperatively to complete their "Who Am I?" bags. You may wish to provide written directions or an assessment rubric for students to guide them in their projects. Preview the BrainPOP Jr. and/or BrainPOP movie topics (listed on this page) to determine which ones are appropriate for your students, and list them for children to choose from.

Create a "Who Am I?" bag as a model for the class. Select a historical figure or event and create or gather clues to help students guess the identity of your figure. For example, if you choose Amelia Earhart, you could put a tiny model airplane, pair of goggles, map of Kansas, and the numbers "99" on a piece of paper. (Instead of real objects, you could also use printed images from the internet.) Put your name on the outside of the bag and ensure you've followed whatever project guidelines you plan to give students.

Lesson Procedure:

Show the class your "Who Am I?" bag. Invite students to pull one item out of the bag at a time and try to infer who your bag represents.

Show students the list of related BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr. topics you've selected and invite students to select one person to research. Present the project guidelines and go over the assessment criteria.

Allow students to watch the BrainPOP or BrainPOP Jr. movie about their selected historical figure and explore the related movie resources. As they look around the topic page, they should record possible items they could use for their "Who Am I?" bags.

Give students time in class to create their bags, or allow them to work on their bags at home.

Once the bags are completed, divide the class in half. Station half the class at different places in the room with their bags. Rotate the other half of the class through the stations so that they have a chance to pull the clues out of each bag and guess who the bag represents. You may wish to set a timer for this activity and teach students to automatically move to the next station when the timer goes off. Then have the two halves of the class switch roles.

Have students self-reflect on the activity and their work. Which clues would they present differently next time? Would they make their clues more or less difficult, and why? What did they learn through this activity?